Mac's secret
by Timeforachange
Summary: One game, one question and one answer there will change everything. And it is Smacked.


**Hey just want to tell you that this is my third story, so I'm new to this, please bear with me if I have made any mistakes. Hope you will like it just as much as I like writing it.**

"Hey Hawkes, are you ready for tonight?" Lindsay asked Hawkes when she saw him.

"Hey Linds. Yes I am. This is going to be so much fun. Does everybody know?"

"Yes, They all know. I told Danny yesterday and he agrees with us. He actually said that we should have done it three years ago" Lindsay said laughing. "They are all going to meet us tonight at the bar"

"He is right about that. So are you or am I going to tell Mac and Stella?" asked Hawkes a little concerned. "Well, I don't know... maybe we should take one each" Lindsay said.

"I don't think that will help. Normally we can't get Mac to come with us. We have to tell Stella and let her tell Mac" Hawkes said. He knew what he was talking about and Lindsay knew that. Every time they wanted Mac to join them, they had to get Stella to convince him. They had learned by now to go strait to Stella and let her take care of Mac.

"Okay. So here is was we are going to do" Lindsay said while looking around to make sure nobody could hear her "we tell Stella and go down to the bar and get everything in place. You okay with that? I will tell her and say what time they should come. Yeah I know, she has to convince him, but I think she can do that" Lindsay added when she saw Hawkes' face.

"Okay, so I meet you there. I really hope this is going to work" Hawkes said to Lindsay as he made his way to the looker room. "Me too" Lindsay said in a whisper as she made her way to find Stella.

"Hey Stel, you got a second?"

"Sure I do. What's up Linds?" Stella asked as she looked up from her work.

"I was just wondering if maybe you and Mac could meet us for some drinks later, and just relax after this busy week?" Lindsay asked with hope in her voice. She knew it would take a lot if effort from Stella to convince Mac to join them.

"I don't know about Mac, but I will definitely be there" Stella answered "And I will try to convince Mac to come too" she added before Lindsay could say anything.

"Thank you so much, Stel. See you at 7 at the bar" Lindsay said before going out of the room to let Stella continue with her work. "Yes" Lindsay thought to herself "I really hope this is going to work". Lindsay and Haweks had been planing to get Mac and Stella to tell their feeling for each other for at long time. Last week they had come up with the perfect idea, and they decided that tonight was going to be the night they were going to succeed.

At the bar

Lindsay, Danny, Hawkes, and Flack was sitting around a table waiting for Stella and Mac to show up. It was 10 minutes past 7 and they were going crazy.

"Linds, why aren't they here yet?" Danny asked. He couldn't take this any longer. He wanted to know what was going to happen tonight.

"I don't know Danny. But as soon as they come we are going to start this game. And Hawkes you are ready aren't you?" Lindsay asked a little worried

"Yeah I'm ready. They will be here soon. Maybe it's taking a long time to convince Mac to come" just as he said that the door to the bar opened. The team turned to see who it was. They were happy when they saw it was Stella... and Mac. Stella and Mac made their way over to the team and sat down.

"Okay. What do you want to drink and I will go get it?" Flack said as he stood up. Everyone told him what they wanted and soon he was back at the table. The team started to talk and soon Lindsay said "You know what could be fun? Playing a game" everyone looked at Lindsay. They all knew what she was talking about except Stella and Mac, but they had to look surprised at what she was talking about.

"You know a game. Have some fun. Enjoy a night of fun after a whole week with work, and lots of it"

"And what do you have in mind" Hawkes asked. It was all part of the game, but he knew he had to act normal, like someone who didn't know what was going to happen.

"A game where I ask some questions and you have to answer without thinking about the question. So who wants to go first? What about you Hawkes?"

"Sure why not"

"But remember. You can't think about the question otherwise you are out. Vous comprenez?" the team just gave their nod. They all understood.

"Okay here we go... Your name?"

"Sheldon Hawkes"

"Profession?"

"Dr. / CSI"

"Work place?"

"New York City Crime Lab"

"Rank?"

"Third grade"

"Favorite drink?"

"Beer"

"Favorite Job?"

"Current"

"Favorite place?"

"Home"

"Most important thing in life?"

"Friends"

"Biggest mistake?" Lindsay had to ask this one. It wasn't planned so she knew it would take him some time before he would answer. And she was right.

"Uhmmm.." was all Hawkes could get out.

"You're taking too long Hawkes. You're out of this game" Flack almost shouted so the whole bar could hear him. "Calm down Flack" Hawkes returned.

"Okay... that was way to easy. Everyone could answer that" Mac suddenly said and everyone looked at him. Lindsay just smiled on the inside. Her and Hawkes' plan were working.

"If you think so, you can try yourself" Danny said

"Well I think I will. Thank you very much Danny" Mac smiled

"Okay here we go again. Name?" Lindsay began again, but this time she was smiling.

"Mac Taylor"

"Profession?"

"Head of the crime lab"

This time Lindsay wouldn't go the easy way around. Maybe at first, but then later she would go right to the question she wanted. And hopefully he would answer.

"Best friend?"

"Stella Bonasera" Mac didn't understand what was so great about this game. For him it was just easy. All the questions was just easy to answer.

"Favorite place?"

"Anywhere with friends"

"Person you dislike?"

"Sinclair"

"Favorite city?"

"Chicago"

"Other than Chicago?"

"New York City"

"Three ting you will protect?"

"The country, the city and the lab"

"Favorite music genre?"

"Jazz"

"The love of your life?"

"Stella Bonasera"

The whole table went quiet at that moment. They all knew that Mac loved Stella, but never imagined that he would say it out loud. Lindsay and Hawkes just looked at each other, they had done it, they got Mac to actually say it out load. They had never thought he would do that. They thought he would figure it out, but he didn't.

Stella was shocked and just looked at Mac before she got up and left without saying a word. The rest of the team looked after her. Mac had finally figured out what he had said and looked up from the table. He saw that everyone was looking at the door, and he knew right away that Stella had left. He could feel everybody's eyes on him. He didn't want to look at them the only thing he wanted right now was to find Stella.

He hadn't meant for her to find out this way. He had planed on telling her sometime soon, and not like this. She didn't deserve to hear it like that. He should have told her someplace more private. A place where they could talk about it. When he got out of the restaurant he couldn't see her. So he decided to go home to her and explain.

As he reached her house he could see that her light was on, so she was home. He went up to her door and knocked. As she opened the door he could see the tears running down her cheeks.

"I didn't mean it like that" Mac started, but as he realized what he had said he wished he hadn't. "I'm so sorry Stella. You wasn't supposed to hear it like that"

"What do you mean?" the only thing Stella wanted to know was if he meant what he said.

"You wasn't supposed to hear it like that. I was supposed to tell you in a more private surrounding, where we could talk just the two of us"

"So you meant what you said?" it was what she had waited for. For so many year all she wanted to know was if he loved her as much as she loved him. She hadn't told him because she didn't want to ruined their friendship, but she loved him so much.

"YES I meant it. Stella from the beginning I knew there was something special between us and I knew we would become good friends. After Claire died I thought I was going to die too, but you helped me through that. I knew from the moment I heard the call over the radio, the incident with Frankie, that I could lose you. I knew that if I lost you my world would break down. When I saw you on that floor I thought you were already dead, but I was so happy you weren't. I know I should have told you sooner, but I was afraid of losing you as a friend. Our friendship means so much to me and I was scared that if you didn't feel the same way I would lose that friendship. And when Drew hold me captured I was hoping that you weren't the first one to come through those doors, because it would be my fault if you got hurt. There have been so many times where I have thought I was going to lose you and never get the change to tell you how much you mean to me. Back in the bar the team was just trying to get me to say what I am going to say to you know, nothing more... I love you Stella Bonasera and nothing will ever change that. I have and will love you with all my heart. You are my life. You are the love of my life. You make me want to wake up in the morning, go to work make it through the day. A day without you is like nothing you can imagine. It is the worst thing in the world. And thrust me it is, you can always ask the team"

By know Mac had walked into the apartment and Stella had closed the door and listened to what Mac had to say.

"I.. I thought I was the only one that felt like that. I thought you were never going to like me as much as I like you. And I never thought that you were going to love me. Mac, I love you just as much. I can't describe it. So many time I have thought I was going to lose you, and all I wanted to do was run over and tell you have much I love you, but I was so scared that you didn't feel the same" Stella was now in tears. Mac stepped closer to Stella, wiped the tear away from her face and leaned in for a kiss. As she responded to the kiss it became more passionately and they only stopped for the need of air.

**Hope you guys like it. Tell me what you think. The reviews for my latest story was pretty bad so I was gonna drop writing, but one review made me happy. Please don't make we go through that again.**


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